As Promised

I couldn't post the salad with the picture of that glorious pizza and not tell you about it. I was having a beverage with my bestie at our favorite bar/pizza joint, and although we weren't eating, the special that day was a similar pizza. It sounded somewhat interesting, but I'll admit slightly boring. However, I'm a sucker for anything goat cheese, so I thought it might be worth recreating.

What came out totally blew my mind. I don't think I've ever run across a bad recipe that included caramelized onions. Add the salty tang of goat cheese and... yes! Seriously, just make this. Have it with a salad or eat the entire pizza. That is not a decision I can make for you.

Billy Goat Pizza
sort of adapted from Brixx

1 pizza crust
2-4 tbsp. tomato sauce
4 oz. (at least) mozzarella
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 small or medium onion, slivered
1 - 2 tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
2 oz. (at least) goat cheese
parsley, to taste

Toast the pine nuts. I prefer to do this in a dry skillet on the stovetop. I find whenever I put them in the oven I inevitably burn the nuts. Add the olive oil to a pan on the stove. When hot, add the onions. Heat the onions on medium heat until softened and lightly golden brown.

Prepare your favorite pizza crust (which should obviously be this one). This worked perfectly on the grill, so if you use that method, grill one side of the pizza dough first. If not, proceed with topping as directed. When you are ready to top the pizza, add the tomato sauce to taste. Top with mozzarella and add the caramelized onions.

When we do this on the grill we cook the pizza for about 5 minutes and as it is coming off, complete the toppings. If you cook your pizza in the oven you may want to add the remaining topics with 3 - 5 minutes left. At that point, sprinkle on the goat cheese and toasted pine nuts. At the very end, sprinkle on a bit of parsley.

Freak out at the amazing combination!

Awesome Pasta-ome

This pasta was so good, it might be a rival for my very favorite pasta. Seriously. THAT good. Even the hubs is super excited about having the leftovers for dinner tonight. And, yes, I'm excited about it. There are so many flavors combining for a dish that seriously makes your tastebuds tingle. Is that possible? Because I didn't think so before eating this dish. Looking at the list of ingredients I knew it would be good because there wasn't anything I didn't like in it. I just had no idea it would come together quite this well.

The lemon juice is key to keeping the whole dish really bright. The tang and saltiness from the artichokes and capers is perfect. The chicken adds a nice, solid bite to the pasta, but I don't see that it's necessary. I think this could be enjoyed just as much by a vegetarian without the chicken. The original recipe called for bacon, which I eliminated in an attempt to make it healthier. I figured it would still be good, but I would be able to tell that the bacon is missing. Honestly, I don't think I would ever add it. The artichokes are salty enough without needing the bacon.

I added pine nuts and garnished with parmesan. Pine nuts because... well, if pine nuts are wrong I don't want to be right! Parmesan because... that's how we roll in this family. Unfortunately, I'm going to cut this post short because I have to go eat another two to three helpings!

Creamy Lemon, Artichoke, and Chicken Pasta
adapted from So Tasty So Yummy via Confections of a Foodie Bride

pasta (as much as you want, I hate giving a measurement)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
salt & pepper
1- 2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 - 1 c. mushrooms
1 can artichoke hearts, drained & quartered
2 tsp. capers, drained
1/2 c. white wine
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 - 3 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. butter
2 - 3 tbsp. pine nuts, lightly toasted
parsely, chopped for garnish
parmesan, for serving

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Heat the olive oil in a large, wide pan. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper together. Cut the chicken into strips and dredge in the flour mixture. Cook the chicken in the pan until browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken and place on a paper towel to drain. Add the mushrooms, artichokes, and capers into the pan. Cook until the mushrooms have released their juice and the artichokes and softened and heated through.

Without removing the veggies, add the wine to the pan and deglaze. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and chicken broth and cook for another two minutes. Add the butter and cream and stir until the butter is melted. Add the pine nuts and chicken back into the pan over low heat. Add the pasta and stir to combine. Serve with fresh chopped parsley and parmesan.

Savor every tingly bite!

Italian Sausage Soup

As it continues to be cold, I will continue to post soup recipes! I love this soup so much I once completely ignored my mom telling me that it had just come off the stove and slurped up a big spoonful. I did sort of regret that bite, but I haven't regretted another one since then!

This soup is probably borderline healthy. Obviously, the sausage contributes some fat. However, there are also a number of veggies and other healthy additions, so I don't necessarily put this on the "bad" list. Plus, if you are vegetarian and sub in some veggie sausage, the health factor goes way up without losing any deliciousness. This is not a particularly difficult recipe, and you can easily sub in anything you have a craving for or just what you have on hand.

Italian Sausage Soup

1 1/2 lbs. Italian sausage (can mix mild and hot)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large onions, chopped
1 large can (1 lb. 12 oz.) Italian-style tomatoes
3 cans beef broth (or veggie)
1 1/2 c. dry red wine (or water)
1/2 tsp. dried basil (or 1 tbsp. fresh)
3 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 medium zucchini, cut in 1/4-inch slices
5 oz. farfalle (or other pasta)
grated Parmesan cheese

Remove and discard sausage casings. Cut sausages into 1/2-inch lengths. Cook in a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat until lightly browned. Spoon off and discard all but 2 tbsp. of the drippings. Add the garlic and onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their liquid (break up the tomatoes with a spoon). Add broth, wine, and basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Add parsley, pepper, zucchini, and noodles. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes, or until noodles are al dente. Serve with grated Parmesan.

Slurp away!

Reason One of Two Why I Never Order Enchiladas

I love Mexican food. I love homemade, wholesome Mexican food. I love greasy restaurant Mexican food. Also, I love everything in between. Most of my friends and family members are in agreement, so I often have the opportunity to indulge. At Mexican restaurants, it's always a tough decision about what to order. Tacos, chimichangas, quesadillas: I could go on and on. One thing I almost never order is an enchilada. I do, however, have great reasons for this... two of them.

The first I will be sharing with you is a little more classic of an enchilada. Cheese and onion are combined in corn tortillas and covered with a red sauce. This often ends up being a little bit more like enchilada casserole, but is delicious, all the same. The flavors are bright and warm. This is a fantastic dish to enjoy all year long, but I believe it's perfect at this time of year, when all I want to do is come home to a nice, hot dinner that will leave me feeling cozy all night long.

Cheese and Onion Enchiladas
adapted from some international cookbook of my mom's

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 - 3 tbsp. chili powder
4 c. tomato juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 clove of garlic, minced

12 6-inch corn tortillas
3 cups shredded cheese (I use monterey jack and colby jack)
1 medium onion, chopped
scallions, chopped
sliced jalapenos

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the vegetable oil in a pan. Over medium heat (not too hot!) add the flour. Cook for one minute, until this is well-blended. Add the chili powder. Stir in the tomato juice, tomato puree, oregano, cumin, and garlic. Simmer this mixture for about 15 minutes. It will bubble and splatter, so don't turn the heat up too high.

Let the tomato mixture cool until you are able to touch it. Reserve 1 cup of the cheese. Using tongs, place the tortilla in the salsa until it becomes pliable (this only happens so much). Place some of the remaining cheese down the middle of the tortilla. Add some of the chopped onion as well. Roll the tortilla up and place seam side down in a medium to large baking dish (I use a 9 x 13 glass dish). Continue with the remaining tortillas until you run out of tortillas, sauce, cheese, or onion! Or space in the dish, for that matter. At the end, pour any remaining sauce over the top. Then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Garnish with green onions and jalapenos, if desired. Understand that you may need multiple utensils (including spoons!) to serve, but that it will be well worth it.

A New Favorite?

I have grown up eating the same chili my whole life. I remember when my mom taught me to cook it. She and my sister have even converted it to a veggie version. It is hearty and warming. Large chunks of meat, beans, and a delicious tomato sauce build this chili. However (and yes, there had to be a however), I decided to try a new chili for dinner.

Cincinnati-style chili is something I have heard about before. Or seen. All I knew about it before was that it was made with much finer pieces of meat. Also, it is often served over spaghetti and garnished with cheese, onions, and beans. Then came the day I saw a recipe for it. Oh, the spices! It sounded delicious, and I had to try it.

I will say that this in no way will replace my original chili recipe. It's something different, and it is fabulous. But I don't always want different. So the next time I make chili I'm sure I will go back to the original and I will be blogging that. This new chili was probably not hub's favorite. I absolutely loved it: the flavors were phenomenal. I truly believe that everyone should try this. It will be worth it, even if it doesn't replace your standby chili recpie!

Also easily converted to veggie, this would be great with a TVP substitute. I realize that typically this style of chili is made with very small pieces of meat. I've read that the best way to achieve this is by cooking the raw meat in a pot of the liquid and whisking as it cooks. That totally skeeved me out, so I didn't do it that way. I think TVP would probably result in a more accurate consistency.

Cincinnati-style Chili
from Cooks Illustrated by way of Joelen's Culinary Adventures

1 lb. ground beef
3 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. unsweeted chocolate (shaved or minced)
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
kosher salt, to taste
2 c. tomato sauce
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. water
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp. brown sugar

spaghetti, cooked per package directions
1 can of kidney beans, drained, rinsed, and warmed
1 onion, chopped
grated cheese (I used cheddar)

In a large dutch over or other pot, brown the ground beef over low heat, using a masher to break the meat up into small pieces. When the meat is nearly browned, add the garlic, chili powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, chocolate, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, and salt. Heat for approximately 1 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, water, vinegar, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for at least one a half hours.

Before serving cook the spaghetti. Serve the chili over the spaghetti and garnish with chopped onions, grated cheese, and warmed beans. Revel in the smell and taste of those amazing spices. I hope you love it as much as I did!

A New Classic

I finally ventured to try something many people would consider a classic comfort dish. Boy, am I sorry I waited so long! Let's see... green pepper, ground turkey, cheese, and tomato sauce. That is certainly a list of ingredients that is right up my alley. These stuffed peppers were delicious and very well-cooked. I've seen stuffed peppers on the list of various menus before, but was always hesitant to order because I was concerned that the peppers would be mushy. I am always, always a crunchy vegetable girl!

I added a little mexican flavor in these, which I think went over well. I could also up the cheese content, but since I'm slightly cheese-obsessed that's not so abnormal. It's possible that I made these slightly too spicy, but for some reason I've been on a huge spice kick. I've lowered the amount of cayenne pepper in the recipe below to account for this.

I would very much recommend making a veggie version of these as well. Using "crumbles" or TVP, I think, would also make a delicious meal. The original recipe called for four peppers, but I made this for two instead. We did end up with some extra filling, but one peppers plus the extra filling was perfect for hubs, while one pepper was plenty for me. Don't wait as long as I did to make this!

Stuffed Bell Peppers
adapted from Food by way of Joelen's Culinary Adventures

2 large green bell peppers
1/2 c. rice, cooked according to directions on packaging
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 lb. ground turkey
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 c. + 2 handfuls of shredded cheese (I used colby jack)
2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (to taste)
kosher salt (to taste)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the top with the stem off of the peppers and remove the seeds and innards. Bring water to boil in a large pot. Add a pinch of salt and the bell peppers. Cook until the peppers are just beginning to soften, about 3 - 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the peppers from the water. Run cool water over the peppers to blanche and stop the cooking process. Drain on a plate with a paper towel. You may need to turn the peppers upside down to remove excess water from the inside. Place the peppers cut side up in a baking dish. I used a bread pan and this held them perfectly.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened. Next add the garlic and cook for another 1 - 2 minutes. Add the ground turkey and break up while browning the meat. Once the meat is browned remove from heat. Add in the chili powder and cayenne pepper, along with a little more kosher salt to taste. Add the rice, tomatoes, and 1 cup of cheese. Mix to combine well.

Fill the peppers with the meat mixture. Top with another handful of cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the filling is heated through, about 15 minutes.

Eat however you can figure it out! It will be delicious no matter what!

The First of Many Cauliflowers

I am a late cauliflower bloomer. Hmm, does that make sense? Anyway, my mom was never a cauliflower fan. She really didn't enjoy the way that caulflower was most often prepared. Over time we have introduced her to a cauliflower recipe or two that she really loves. This one is definitely not it, and I wouldn't even suggest it. I will be posting some of my other favorite recipes soon, but I just happened to make this one, so it comes first. It is not my first favorite.

I don't mean that it isn't good. It's actually really delicious. But it's a simple combination of flavors: cauliflower, cheese, and nutmeg. It's a perfect simple side dish for some dressed-up protein. In this case, we ate this with chicken marsala. Simple and delicious... works for me!

The original recipe calls for boiling the cauliflower in stock. I have done this and steamed it instead. Both were great, and there honestly wasn't much difference. Believe it or not, I'm actually horrible at reducing liquids, so I sort of like steaming the cauliflower better. I will post it that way here, but follow the original link if you'd rather boil it in stock.

Smashed Cauliflower
adapted from Rachel Ray via Food Network

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
2 tbsp. butter, cut into cubes
1 - 1 1/4 c. shredded white cheddar cheese
1/4 c. parmesan
1/4 - 1/2 c. milk
ground black pepper (or peppercorn medley) & salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Steam the cauliflower until soft, about 10 minutes, depending on the size of your florets. When soft, transfer to a medium-size pot over medium-low heat. Add in the butter, cheese, and milk. You want enough liquid to create a cheesy sauce for the cauliflower, but not so much that it will be too soupy to eat. Using a masher, break up the cauliflower until it is the consistency of a chunky puree (what?). The cheese should melt. Add in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg, to taste. If the sauce is too thin, turn the heat up slightly and cook until thickened, stirring regularly.

If you are a cheese fan, you will be a fan of this!

Because It Can't Always Be Pasta

Recipes like this are the reason that I wanted to create a blog. They're also something I hope to have more of one day. I love the idea of family recipes. Something you probably made the first time with the person who used to make it for you. The recipe that looks well-loved. Stains on the important words and all (not that it matters because you practically have it memorized). This recipe for leek and potato soup fits all the criteria.

Mom used to make this and then I helped once. From then on it has become a staple in the household. I'm not always the best about eating leftovers, but if this is in the fridge you can bet I'll have it gone in a couple days. I love the flavors of the soup. I tend to cook it possibly more than what I should, but I love the stewi-ness of it and the way the leeks and spices come together with the potatoes.

And let's face it, not everything I post on this page can't be pasta-related!

Leek and Potato Soup

5 or 6 leeks

3 tbsp. butter

3 c. diced potatoes

1 qt. chicken broth

2 tsp. salt (to taste) (or vegetable for a vegetarian version)

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. flour

Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the broth.

Wash and cut the leeks. To do this I usually cut off the end and then peel off the outermost green layer. Then I cut them in half lengthwise. Then I thinly slice them, starting at the white end. I place all the slices in a colander, and once all the leeks have been cut I spend some time rinsing off the grit. Leeks are really not scary to work with, and so delicious they're worth the extra rinsing!

Saute the leeks in the 3 tbsp. of butter until soft, usually about 5 minutes. Add in the potatoes and broth. Bring this mixture to a boil and let it go for about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer (covered) until the potatoes are tender. This could take about 25 minutes to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes you diced. Once tender, season the potatoes with the cayenne and nutmeg.

Create a roux for the soup. Melt the two tbsp. of butter over medium-low heat and stir in the flour. When this is well mixed, add the reserved 1 1/2 cups of broth. Stir this until it becomes thickened and bubbly. I used to have trouble making a roux until I learned not to be scared of the heat. You don't want it too hot, as it can burn, but without the heat it will NEVER thicken.

Add the roux to the soup and heat through until the whole thing is hot and bubbly. Serve it with an extra pinch of nutmeg or cayenne (for the brave). Enjoy!

A Perfect Summer Evening

I can't think of a better way to spend a weekend evening than sitting on the deck eating delicious food and drinking some delicious wine. Add in some of my favorite people and you'll have a hard time getting me to end the evening. This is exactly how I spent my last Saturday evening. Mom came to visit and along with the hubby we sat outside for a few hours while we enjoyed a wonderful grilled dinner and some delicious wine.

For those in the area I have to put in a plug for the Chapel Hill Wine Company. This is the only thing I hate about living on the east side of Raleigh, I am about an hour's drive away from my favorite wine store. The prices and selection are amazing. Their knowledge is great but they never make me feel badly for asking stupid questions. We bought a bottle of red wine called Calma (a Spanish Rioja?) and it was stellar. I picked up a couple bottles of other wine, so I'll make a note of those when we have those as well.

I'm not going to type out a drawn out post about grilling burgers. I assume everyone can handle that! I'm just going to tell you about the "accessories" to dinner. We topped our burgers with guacamole (and also ate a ton of guacamole with chips). We also made a pasta salad for the side. It was a perfectly delicious dinner, and the hubs is a stellar grill man. His burgers were fabulous, but our guacamole definitely took it to a new level.

Guacamole

2 avocados (ripe, but not too squishy)
1/2 small, yellow onion, finely chopped
1 - 2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 lemon
salt & pepper

Scoop out the avocados into a small bowl. Add the onion and garlic and mash the avocado. I prefer to do this by hand with a masher because I like chunks of avocado in my guacamole. Add the juice of one lemon, tasting to make sure you don't go overboard! Add salt and pepper to taste. Make sure you continue to taste the guacamole throughout to make sure the flavor is balanced. Just try to leave some for whatever it's planned purpose is!

Make It Up As You Go Along Pasta Salad

The best thing about this pasta salad is that you can turn it into whatever you want. Add or remove veggies, change the dressing, anything you like!

1 orange (or your other favorite color) Bell pepper

1 green Bell pepper

1/2 red onion

2 - 3 tbsp. chopped, fresh parsley

1 - 2 tbsp. chopped, fresh basil

1 container/package good mozzarella

salt & pepper

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 package pasta of your choice

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.

Chop the peppers and onions (and any other vegetables you choose to add). When the pasta is slightly cooled, add the vegetables and herbs to it and mix in a large bowl. Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil and vinegar. Add some salt and cracked black pepper to taste. Make sure to taste the dressing to make sure it is to your liking before you add it to the pasta. Once you are satisfied, add the dressing to the pasta mixture and chill it in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Before serving add the mozzarella and mix in.

Note: For added crunch I would try some toasted pine nuts or even some drained black eyed peas. Go wild!

I heart Italian food

I have ALWAYS loved Italian food. I am notorious for being the slowest eater in my family. I would finish dinner way after the rest of the family had left the table. As a matter of fact, I still finish dinner later than everyone else, but most of the time they're nice enough to wait for me to finish before they get up now. It also helps that I eat only what I cook (for the most part) and I get to make only things I really, really like. The only exceptions to me being the last person at the table occured on the nights when we had my favorite dishes.

Which include almost all things Italian. But particularly lasagna and stuffed shells. My two favorites from my mom's list of Italian cooking. This doesn't mean I can't put away a mean plate of pasta in all of its versions, but we've got to narrow it down, at least for now. Today we'll focus on the stuffed shells. I'm sure there are many variations of stuffed shells that are delicious. I'm going to be stubborn and say these stuffed shells are the BEST and I could never get tired of them. I don't even know where this recipe comes from originally, but it's a keeper!

Stuffed Shells

1 package frozen, chopped spinach (although an equivalent of fresh works as well)

3 tbsp. butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic

2 eggs

1 15 ounce container of Ricotta

1/4 c. grated Parmesan

1 tbsp. parsley

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

pepper, to taste

24 giant shells

1 jar Prego or your favorite pasta sauce or make your own!

Cook the shells according to the package while you prepare the stuffing mixture.

If you're using frozen spinach, cook it according to the instructions on the package, although you can stop it a minute or two before it is completely cooked. Melt the butter in a saucepan and cook the onions and garlic until softened. Add the spinach and cook for about three minutes. Instructions say to cool the spinach/onion mixture, but I always get impatient and move on.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir the two eggs into the ricotta until well mixed. Add the spinach and onions. Then add everything else. Stuff each shell with a large spoonful of the stuffing mixture. Pour a layer of sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Place the shells on top of the sauce and then cover with another layer of sauce. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the shells are hot and bubbly.

Note: the recipe calls for baking the shells covered, but I think we have always baked them uncovered.

My Favorite Pasta

Our family has a few staples that always make an appearance at get-togethers. All holidays or extended periods of time together must incorporate homemade pizza, some form of Mexican food, and Jamie Oliver Pasta. The pasta is amazing. To be honest, I'm not even really sure what caused us to make it the first time. I mean, it sounds ok -- cabbage, mozzarella, and pine nuts -- but certainly not something you would drool over. Until you've tried it. It's totally drool-worthy. The flavors come together amazingly. You can taste everything individually, but they play off each other perfectly. Trust me, it's fabulous.

Having always made this with my mom and sister of the vegetarian persuasion, we left out the pancetta. And it was always fantastic, so no big deal. However, for the first time I tried this with the pancetta when I made it for me and the hubs. It was still really good. Different, though. The pancetta was a much stronger flavor than the others. I felt that it just slightly overwhelmed the other flavors I love so much. Not that the pancetta flavor wasn't delicious, but I think next time I would use a lot less so it was tasted in a few bites here and there instead of as the main thing in every bite.

Oh, and don't let the super creative, official name of this recipe throw you off. It will always be referred to as "Jamie Oliver Pasta."

Farfalle with Savoy Cabbage, Pancetta, Thyme, and Mozzarella
adapted slightly from Jamie Oliver's "The Naked Chef"

10 strips pancetta or lean bacon, thinly sliced
olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 good handful of thyme, leaves picked from stems
1 large savoy cabbage (quartered, cored, and thinly sliced)
1 handful grated parmesan cheese
1 lb. dried farfalle
salt & pepper
7 oz. buffalo mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch dice (high quality mozzarella is really worth it in this one)
2 handfuls pine nuts, lightly toasted

Boil water for the farfalle and cook according to directions on the package. Meanwhile, in a pan, fry the pancetta (if you're using it) with olive oil until lightly golden. Add the garlic and thyme and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and the parmesan, stirring to keep the parmesan from sticking to the pan too much. Put a lid on the pan and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, making sure to continue stirring or shaking the cabbage so it doesn't clump too much.

Once the cabbage is tender you are finished cooking with it. He recommends loosening it with some olive oil. I don't usually do this step, as I find it easy enough to work with, and I like mine somewhat clumpy. Toss the al dente farfalle with the cabbage mixture and add the mozzarella and pine nuts at the last minute. I usually let it sit so the mozzarella can just begin to melt before I serve it. Enjoy -- I know you will!

New York: Take 2

The other half of my weekend in New York City consisted of spending much time in the kitchen. The thing about my family, is that we're often content to do not much of anything. Well, by most people's standards anyway. Really what I mean is that, to us, hanging out in the kitchen, eating whatever we happen to cook up, and chatting all the while (usually with a glass of good wine) can fill up an entire evening!

My sister and I decided to sample some fare from the wonderful Smitten Kitchen. We opted for the mushroom marsala pasta with artichokes. Umm, there is nothing about that I wouldn't like. Mushrooms? Check. Cooking with wine? Check. Pasta? Check. Anyway, you get the idea... It was INDESCRIBABLE. In a really amazing way. The Marsala and the mushrooms combined to create a whole new flavor that I could have licked out of the pan would I not have burnt my tongue. In fact, I think I will be making another variation of this in the coming days, it was THAT good.

Mushroom Marsala Pasta with Artichokes

(barely adapted from Smitten Kitchen & Giada DeLaurentis)

3 tbsp. olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of your pan)

1 small onion (finely chopped)

10 oz. mushrooms (we just bought one package, rather than the pound it called for)

1 c. dry Marsala wine

1 lb. pasta

12 oz. frozen - thawed (we overdid the artichokes to make up for the mushrooms)

3/4 c. Parmesan cheese

1/2 c. cream

1/2 c. flat leaf parsley

salt & pepper, to taste

splash of balsamic vinegar

Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for one minute. Add the mushrooms. Saute, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the mushrooms have cooked down, about 10 minutes. Add the Marsala and continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes (this took us much longer).

Meanwhile bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to directions on the package, or to taste (al dente for us!). Drain the pasta and add it to the mushrooms, marsala, and onions. Add the artichoke hearts, parmesan, and cream. Cook until the artichokes are heated through. Stir in parsley, salt, and pepper to taste. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar, again to taste. EAT.

****

The next day the sister and I decided to try our hand at baking. After scouring several recipes we decided to try our hand at muffins with red onions and dill. We used a vegan herb bread recipe but subbed in the red onion and dill for all the herbs the recipe called for. Again -- DELICIOUS. Sister shared with friends and got rave reviews all around. I had to go back to NC, but I made more the next day.

Muffins with Red Onion and Dill

(Adapted from How It All Vegan by Tanya Barnard and Sara Kramer)

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

egg substitue (to equal one egg)

2 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. oil

1 tsp. vinegar

3/4 c. soy milk

1 small to medium red onion

3 tbsp. dill, chopped

kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Yes - the sifting is important. Add the dill, red onion, egg replacer, sugar, oil, vinegar, and milk. Mix together until just mixed. Do not overmix, especially in the vegan version! Spoon into muffin cups. Sprinkle kosher salt on the top. Bake for about 25 minutes. Check with a knife or toothpick to see if they are done.

Non-vegan version

I made these with one egg and 3/4 c. of milk. Beat the egg prior to adding it. It made the muffins slightly more wet so I added about 2 - 3 tbsp. of flour. It still made approximately the same number of muffins as the vegan version.